China urges adoption of QR code travel-tracking system to fight COVID

Since early this year China has been using a health screening system that uses QR codes and runs on Alipay and WeChat. The system stores a user’s health and travel history and issues a colored QR code – green, yellow or red – that indicates their freedom to move around and provides access to public places.

Speaking at the virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit on Saturday, Xi says, “China has proposed a global mechanism on the mutual recognition of health certificates based on nucleic acid test results in the form of internationally accepted QR codes. We hope more countries will join this mechanism.”

Xi also says the COVID pandemic has “exposed the deficiencies of global governance” and as the world moves forward, leaders should develop better capabilities to address future challenges.
“We need to enhance the role of the WHO, improve pandemic preparedness and response, forge a strong shield for human health and safety, and build a global community of health for all. We need to scale up international cooperation on ecology and environment to protect the planet Earth, our only homeland,” he says.

Along with China, several other countries are using apps for contact tracing, including Singapore, which offers its TraceTogether system also as a wearable token for those who do not own smartphones.
And this week Australia now requires customers to scan a QR code to check-in before entering a business.